Casuarina Point Lighthouse

History

The first Bunbury lighthouse, a 3 m wooden tower, was built on Marlston Hill about 365 m east northeast of the present lighthouse. It was replaced in 1901 by a temporary skeletal tower, and then in 1903 by a 9 m cast iron tower with the 1879 Chance Bros fixed 4th order lantern from the second built (1879) Arthur’s Head lighthouse at Fremantle. In 1959 the cast iron tower was raised in height by 6 m because of the building of bulk fuel tank installations, the largest being 22 m in diameter and 20 m high that obscured the visibility of the light. An extract from the South Western Times, January 21, 1960 describes the event. “To make it more visible, the cone containing the light mechanism was lifted by the largest crane in the state and three cylinders-each about 2 m high- were added to the tower before the cone was replaced. The work was completed in 10 days and cost 8000 pounds.”

The 1879 lantern and the added section were incorporated into the present light when it was built in 1970. Only the upper (glazing/dome) section of the lantern was reused and remains in use today. A key player in the decision to move the lighthouse was then Harbour Master/ Pilot, Captain Robert Allsop. Captain Allsop noticed that although the light was visible at night, during the day when approaching from a certain angle the lighthouse was obscured by a large tank. During these times there were no satellite navigation systems; all navigation was done using maps, sextons and line of sight. Allsop also suggested the black and white chequered pattern that is on the current lighthouse after checking lighthouse lists to confirm that the pattern was unique. When asked why black and white, Allsop responded, ‘They were his two favourite colours because he liked Black and White Whisky and black and white Scotch Terriers.

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The rest of the 1903 lighthouse was demolished, and there is now a modern lookout tower on top of the hill. In 2004 a proposal to install mobile phone antennas on the lighthouse drew protests from residents and the city council and the proposal did not proceed.

Keepers

The earliest known keeper was John Sinclair who arrived in Fremantle on the ‘Dolphin’, a Barque carrying 14 passengers, on the 18th of January 1860 and later came to Bunbury. In 1901 Captain John George Abrahamson is listed as the Harbour-master to the Port of Bunbury. Mr. Ramage was listed as the keeper in 1909. George Ramage was also a lighthouse keeper on Rottnest Island. Charles ‘Mac’ McCarthy served in Western Australia’s Harbour and Lights Department for 44 years. In 1934 McCarthy was transferred from Albany to Bunbury to act as the Coxswain on the pilot boat ‘The Petrel’. One of his main duties was to climb Lighthouse Hill each morning and evening to light and extinguish the light. In later years the light was connected to electricity and he had the comfort of doing the chore from his house. He was also responsible for signalling with the flagstaff that a vessel was in sight. McCarthy lived with his family in Brewery Lane.

We need your help in compiling a list of keepers for this lighthouse. If you have any information then send it to keeper@lighthouses.org.au.

Please include this lighthouse’s name, the keepers full name and what years they were keepers. Also include the same information for any other lights they were on.